While we focus most of our attention on English language Asian/Pacific Islander films, there are some films produced and made outside of the English speaking world that sometimes capture our attention. Such is the case with the film City of Life and Death that will be screened in New York City at the Film Forum starting on May 11th and will run for two weeks.

On December 9, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army laid siege to the Chinese capital of Nanking, beginning a reign of terror that killed as many as 300,000 civilians — an infamous tragedy now referred to as the Rape of Nanking. The first big-budget fiction film by the Chinese to deal with this seminal event in their modern history, City of Life and Death follows those caught in the crossfire: a young Chinese general who leads a platoon in street fighting; the German businessman John Rabe, who establishes a safety zone to protect the lives of countless Chinese; and a Japanese officer conflicted by the brutality of his commander. A runaway hit with audiences in China, the film is a visceral, heartbreaking portrait of life during wartime, and an unforgettable masterpiece of contemporary world cinema.

Those in the NYC area should catch the screening! For more information visit their website here: City of Life and Death